Supervisors continue turbine setback review

Union County Board of Supervisors sit around the same table during their meetings, but distances were farther Monday during discussions of any changes to the county’s wind turbine ordinance. No action was taken.

Earlier this year, supervisors approved an abeyance on wind turbine projects until December, which has given them time to further research turbines and other counties’ ordinances to see if any changes in Union County are required. Setback distances for turbines from properties or property lines highlighted the discussion.

“I’ve done more homework in the past year,” said supervisor Chairman Rick Friday compared to his high school days.

Earlier this month, Friday proposed including archeological surveys be executed in areas where turbines are planned with turbine owners or development companies responsible for all fees. He proposed changing the setback from property line of non-participating landowner at least eight times the total height of the tower. That also may be waived with a written agreement between participants and non-participants.

The numbers explained by supervisor Dennis Hopkins were different. He based his suggestions on policies from wind turbine-related companies. One stated, during lightning, employees are to be at least 3,281 feet from the tower.

“I don’t believe that would not have been put in a safety manual if it wasn’t important,” he said. Hopkins said 3,281 is 5.5 times the height of a 600 foot tower, which is a common height from the property line. Hopkins said he was comfortable with those numbers, having turbines at least 3,281 feet or 5.5 times the height, from the property line.

The county’s ordinance states 1,500 feet minimum between a structure and the turbine.

“I want to have something that has teeth. There is so much literature out there. A 700 foot tower would be 3,850 from the property line. Our job isn’t to kill wind projects, but to be fair to everyone involved.”

Hopkins said his research showed great differences with setback distances in places with wind turbines. He said his strives to make his research neutral.

“I want to make sure it’s on facts, not feelings,” he said.

Earlier this month, Hopkins said he was favoring a setback distance from six to 10 times the height of the tower and admitted his new suggestion is less than six.

“Five-point-five makes a lot of sense. I know I said six to 10 based on tower height,” he said.

From the audience, Roger Vicker informed the supervisors of a turbine’s ability to throw ice build up on a blades a mile.

Hopkins respected Vicker’s research but added every industry has a risk, noting agriculture.

“There is a certain amount of risk that occurs in this world,” Hopkins said. '

“You can sit in the back of the pickup with your neighbor and decide to do this,” Friday said.

Other comments were how additional wind turbines in the south part of the county would impact operations at Creston’s airport and the town’s annual hot air balloon event in September.

“We are never going to get any thing done if we keep bouncing around,” Friday said, wanting to focus on setback distances. “We want to get this right.”

In 2020, 36 turbines were put to use in the county, mainly in the northwest corner. Roger Vicker of Protect Our Land’s Future said the Union County towers are 600 feet tall. His research shows towers with a total height of 700 feet are being developed. Protect our Land’s Future is a grassroots effort to preserve and protect Union County land.

In other county news...

Supervisors approved a request for a group to read a portion of the Bible starting at 7:14 a.m. Friday, July 14 on the courthouse lawn. No more than 12 people are expected to attend. The readings have been done before. The group is part of an effort to have readings in all 99 Iowa counties.